Auto broom-rack.



l. E. S. ANTHONY.

' AUTO BROOM RACK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-4.1916.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

fig. 3.

Z 5 g k a \1 9 %/J3 I J0 I $WM v r JESSE E. S. ANTHONY, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTO BROOM-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.-

Application filed January 4, 1916. Serial No. 70,176.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JEssE E. S. ANTHONY,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Auto Broom- Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to racks and has particular application to a rack for supporting brooms or the like in elevated position upon a wall.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will securely support the broom in an elevated position, the weight of the'broom serving to,

actuate the gripping lever to engage the handle of the broom and thereby locking the broom within the rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack of this character so constructed as to limit the adjusting of the gripping lever to accommodate broomsof various diameters.

Another obj ectof this invention is to provide a rack which is capable of supporting two brooms in suspended position.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification :Figure 1 is a side elevation of this device showing a broom handle inserted therein. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section. Fig. 4: is a detail view of one of the shifting plates.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a rectangular plate which is preferably formed' of wood and which is secured to the wall or any other suitable support by means of screws. Secured to the outer face of the plate adjacent its opposite ends thereof are cleats 2 which are of rectangular formation and which extend laterally from the block. Rigidly secured to the plate at its medial portion and adjacent its upper edge is a block 3 which is rectangular in configuration and which is substantially half of the width of the plate. Pivotally mounted upon the outer face of the block adjacent the upper edge thereof are links 4, which are secured to the block at their upper extremities and are of such length as to depend and extend beyond the lower edge of the block. In the present instance, I have formed each of the links of galvanized iron and form the opposite ends of each of the links with edges that are inclined from the longitudinal edges of the links toward the center thereof as indicated at 5. Each of the links 4 is, provided at their adjacent confronting edges with arcuate shaped slots 6while extending through the slots and into the block 3 are screws 7 which have their outer extremities threaded to receive winged thumb nuts 8 which are adapted to engage the sides of the links and hold them in adjusted position as will be more fully described.

The numeral 9 designates the gripping levers of substantially wedge-shape and are tapered from their outer ends to their inner ends, the inner end of each of the gripping levers being provided with longitudinally extending slots 10 which pivotally receive the lower extremities of each of the links 4, and are of a greater length than the width of the links thereby permitting the gripping levers to be swung upwardly during the grip p ng operation. In order to permit the gripping arms to-be-swung upwardly upon their pivots the lower edge of the gripping arm is inclined upwardly adjacent its inner end as at 11.. In order to provide an efiicient gripping surface, the outer extremity of the gripping arms are of arcuate shape and are covered with a strip of emery paper 12 which has the opposite extremities thereof secured to the longitudinalv edges of the gripping arms.

Pivotally secured to the outer face of the plate 1 adjacent the lower edge thereof and extending longitudinally of the same is a stop block 13 which is adapted to engage the underside of the gripping levers and limits the downward movement of the same, the

extremities of the stop block. terminating at a distance from the cleats so as to permit the insertion of the broom handle. In order to support a cluster upon the rack I have provided the medial portion of the stop block with a depending hook 14; which is preferably formed of galvanized iron.

It will be seen from this construction, that when it is desired to support a broom within the rack, the handle of the broom is inserted between the inner face of one of the cleats and the adjacent extremity of one of the gripping levers, it being understood that to permit the insertion of the broom handle, the gripping lever is moved upward, its upward movement being limited by the lower edge of the block. On withdrawing Copies ofthls patent may he obtained for a same.

the hand from holding the broom, the

weight of the broom will draw the gripping arms downwardly and cause the handle to r be gripped betweenthe outer extremity of the gripping lever and the inner face of the cleat, the emery-paper serving to prevent the} accidental displacement of the handle When it is desired to support or suspend an the thumb nut, whereby the links may be swung to the. desiredv adjusted position. Having released the link and having moved the gripping arms so as to properly space the same from the cleat, the thumb nut is then. rotated upon the screw so as to lock the links in adjusted position, whereupon the gripping levers are then locked in a position to receive the article of the desired diameter.

Having described the operation of one of thegripping levers and the means for adjusting the same, it is thought unnecessary to describe the other as the operation is the In providing a rack having means for supporting .two articles, the mounting for one of the racks is capable ofsupporting the other withoutrequiring the addition of but a smallfamount ofmaterial. The partioular manner in which one rack is disposedwith relation to the other permits articles to be inserted into either of the racks without interfering with the operation of the other.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the construction and operation of this device will be apparent to those skilled in the'art without further description, and

minor changes in size, shape, proportion andminor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the appended claim.

Nhat I claim is: A rack comprising a plate, a block secured to said plate, a link mounted on said block and depending from the same, said link hav- JESSE E. S. ANTHONY.

Witnesses:

J OHN B. NEwoUM,

W. E. STONE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c." 

